Former Chief Ministers

Hon. Norman B. Saunders Sr.

Hon. Norman B. Saunders Sr.
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Former Chief Ministers 1980-1985

Born 1943 to parents Norman Saunders and Iris Lightbourn/Saunders.

Education: Attended the South Caicos Primary School.

1957-1960 Attended the Turks & Caicos High School, now the H. J. Robinson High School, graduating at the top of the class in 1960.

1961-1964 Employed by Turks Island Salt Company as an office clerk. During that time he took correspondence courses in Bookkeeping and Accounting.

1964-1974 Employed by The Caicos Company as Accountant, rising to the post of Assistant Managing Director. During that time he took accounting courses with the Rapid Results College, preparing for the ACCA professional exams. his greater involvement in politics and business forced him to discontinue my accounting career.

1974-1999 Became owner/manager of Caicos Air Services Ltd.

1995-1999 Managed Club Carib.

1999-present Operator/Manager of Caicos Fisheries Ltd.

Political Career

1967-1985 Elected Member of the Legislature for South Caicos.

1967-1976 Elected Member of the Executive Council.

1967-1976 Appointed member of the Planning & Development Authority.

1969 Elected as a member of the Constitutional Delegation to meet with Lord Shepherd in Nassau, resulting in a Constitutional change here that year.

1969 Toured England and the Channel Islands on a trip sponsored by the Central Office of Information (COI).

1969 Legislative Assembly appointee to tour and examine the development policies of Bahamas, Cayman Islands, Barbados and Martinique, and to make recommendations to the government on policies to be adopted in the Turks and Caicos Islands.

1970-1976 Served as first Executive Chairman of the Tourist Board.

1971 Member of the TCI delegation to the Bahamas to discuss immigration matters.

Hon. Norman B. Saunders, Sr.

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1975 TCI delegate in negotiations with Exxon on proposed Exxon refinery on West Caicos.

1976 Member of the Currency Committee that made the change from the Jamaican dollar to the US dollar.

1980-1985 Became Chief Minister with responsibility, among other things, for Immigration, Fisheries, Civil Aviation.

1995-To present Re-elected as a Member of the Legislative Assembly.

Attended several CPA Plenary Conferences:

1970 Malawi

1972 New Delhi, India

1980 Fiji, South Pacific

1996 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

1997 Mauritius (as an observer)

An avid sportsman and outdoors man.

Passionate about cricket. and an accomplished spin bowler. Was a member of the TCI Cricket Team that toured the Bahamas in 1960 and 1971, and captured the bowing prize on both occasions.

Plays good tennis. Was the first TCI tennis champion.

A keen sailor. Won many sail boat races.

A fisherman and a hunter.

A Methodist Local Preacher.

Married and has four adult children.